Archive | January, 2017

Dear Rabbi Fried,I have been fascinated by a theory called Parallel Universes. This theory postulates that there are infinite universes constantly being created which are nearly parallel to our universe, and different things are happening in each one without the ability for one to communicate with the other. Are you familiar with this theory, and how does it mesh (or clash) with Jewish thought?— Margie Z.
Dear Margie,
It is important to understand briefly the source of this theory before considering if it jibes with Torah.
This theory was contrived by an American physicist, Hugh Everett, in 1957 to attempt to solve a conundrum in physics known as “Schrödinger’s Cat.” This is a thought experiment in quantum physics, where a particle such as an electron manifests dual properties: that of a particle and of a wave. It behaves as a wave until it is observed as a particle; the observation itself causes the wave to “collapse” into a particle. At that point, it was, retroactively, always a particle!
This dual-property situation would seem to apply to macroscopic objects. So if a cat were trapped in a box containing a small amount of radioactive material which may or may not emit a photon, if it does it would be read by a Geiger counter on the other side of the box, which would release a hammer which would shatter a flask containing cyanide, which would kill the cat. (All theoretically!) At any moment the cat could be dead or alive, but nobody knows because the door is closed, and the objects in the box could be treated as a quantum wave. Like a quantum wave which must incorporate all possibilities, there now exist dual possibilities that the “wave” killed the cat, and that it didn’t. It must be both dead and alive!
A number of answers have been offered to resolve this conundrum, the most dramatic solution being what you mentioned, the parallel- or many-universes or alternative-histories theory. In this theory, rather than the wave collapsing when observed, the wave continues to exist, in its own universe, and at that moment it becomes a particle in the universe of the observer; that universe has split into two.
This would be going on infinitely with the so-called collapse of every quantum particle, spinning off an infinite number of parallel universes, each with its own reality. Although this sounds like science fiction, it is supported by several leading theoretical physicists. (It also has many problems raised by its detractors.)
This theory fascinates me as it is, in a physical sense, very close to the Torah concept that God is constantly recreating the universe. The deeper sources explain this with the Kabbalistic idea that God is continuously recombining the different letters of His Names to recreate the universe with unique spiritual qualities and opportunities. Every instant contains within it spiritual possibilities which never did, and never will, exist again.
I have always wondered: What happens to the previous worlds if God recreates the world anew?
Perhaps this theory of physics lends an insight to understanding that there are infinite parallel universes which continue to coexist, although one can’t communicate with the other because they exist in a different realm.
This viewpoint would obviously raise numerous deep philosophical and moral questions which we would have to deal with.
We see however, once again, how with the advance of modern science the truth of the world and its inner workings gets closer to the timeless truths of Torah.

The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the Sarah Mendel Susman Award to the 2016 recipient, Shirley Frankl. Barbara Moses, the 2015 recipient, presented the award, which is given to someone who epitomizes the volunteer spirit of devotion and tirelessness in support of Hadassah’s ideals.
Shirley, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa, came to Dallas in 1978 with her husband, Karl, and their three children. Born to parents who had to leave their home to escape Nazi Germany, she and her husband also left their home when it appeared apartheid would not end peacefully.
After a year straightening out a visa mix-up, they were able to settle in Dallas and become cherished members of our community. Shirley was an impeccable Hadassah employee and then became a loved and honored volunteer.— Submitted by Pat Rosson

Temple Shalom hosts a discussion with AIPAC on the results of the U.S. election

“What effect will the administration of then President-elect Trump have on the U.S. Jewish community, the Israeli community and U.S/Israel relations in general?” These questions and more were directed to Leora Goldblatt, AIPAC area director for the North Texas and Oklahoma regions, and Kevin Pailet, AIPAC national board member, Tuesday evening, Dec. 13, at Temple Shalom in Dallas.
Sixty to 70 attendees listened intently as another one of the many events of Temple Shalom’s Israel Connection Committee sought to educate and increase awareness of Israel and the issues it is facing.
As AIPAC does not rate or endorse any elected officials or candidates for office, the discussion focused on what to expect during a time of transition and reset in the U.S.-Israel relationship. The attendees were assured that Congress is more committed than ever in its continuing support of a strong U.S./Israel relationship. Goldblatt and Pailet both reaffirmed that AIPAC’s mission is still committed to strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of both the United States and Israel. Both emphasized that given the increasingly shifting demographics in the United States, it remains critical to AIPAC’s mission that extensive outreach be directed to the Hispanic and African-American communities, as well as to the younger generations of Jewish and non-Jewish voters, as this is from where the future Congressional leadership of the United States will come.
A vigorous Q&A session followed the prepared remarks of these AIPAC leaders, all questions answered. The general consensus of attendees, as they exited the Temple Shalom venue, was that this was a very educational and worthwhile session. Before the evening ended, the duo encouraged the attendees to attend the 2017 Policy Conference, March 26-28 in Washington, D.C. This encouragement apparently was responded to, as Temple Shalom has now registered a record number of congregants attending this upcoming Policy Conference.— Submitted by Anita Warner

A 24-karat heart of gold

Thank you to Bob Goldberg, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, who submitted the following:
“Marcia Kurtz is the recipient of the Manny and Roz Rosenthal Spirit of Federation Award.

Submitted photoMarcia Kurtz will receive the Manny and Roz Rosenthal Spirit of Federation Award. It will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the Kimbell Art Museum. Her husband is Dr. Stan Kurtz (left).

“When I asked Dr. Stan Kurtz to tell me about his wife Marcia, he simply smiled and said, ‘She has a 24-karat heart of gold.’ Anyone who knows Marcia knows of her endless generosity of spirit and love for people. The Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County is extremely proud to honor Marcia’s many community accomplishments with the Manny and Roz Rosenthal Spirit of Federation Award at Reaching Chai Notes at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, in the Renzo Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum.
“Established in April 2016, the award recognizes an individual who has shown a personal commitment and dedication to the Federation, making a significant investment for Jewish life and serving as a role model inspiring others to work to better our community.
“The award was created to honor the devotion and commitment the Rosenthal family has made over the decades to ensure the well-being of our Jewish community. At a special event last year, Dr. Lou Barnett and Roz Rosenthal were the inaugural recipients.
“Marcia grew up in Topeka, Kansas with few Jewish friends or neighbors. Her formative Jewish experiences came from visiting cousins on her mom’s side of the family in Dallas during summer breaks starting from the age of 12. There, she immersed herself in Jewish youth group experiences. Her foundation of Jewish living was formed at home in Topeka, where her parents lived Jewish values, participated actively in Jewish organizations and opened their home to sailors, salesmen, and newcomers including cousins that her father saved from the Holocaust by obtaining visas for them to leave Poland.
“After moving to Fort Worth in 1959, Marcia became involved in all aspects of Jewish community life and has remained so ever since.
“Marcia is known for her kindness and giving. She says simply, ‘The more you give, the more you want to do.’
“Her parents remain her inspiration. ‘They were wonderful, caring and loving and that’s where my Judaism comes from. My parents modeled generosity and that continues to give me strength today.’
“Her hope for our future is that we continue to invest in and grow our Jewish community so that more people have the chance to be active and involved.
“Her husband Stan sums it up well when he says, ‘There is a special goodness of her family and she has certainly followed in their path.’
“And for that, we are all grateful.”
There is no charge to attend Reaching Chai Notes. This event is open to the community. To RSVP, please contact Milena Razack at 817-569-0892 or email at kickoff@tarrantfederation.org.

JWI meeting Wednesday

Jewish Women International will meet at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Beth-El Congregation. Key Speaker this month is Dr. Julian Haber, retired Fort Worth physician, writer and Jewish American military historian. Bagels and coffee will be served.
All members both new and old are welcome. JWI meets the first Wednesday of every month.

Lipstadt, whose book was basis for 2016 film Denial, to discuss subject at Anshai Torah

Submitted report

There is no “Denial” that Congregation Anshai Torah’s 2017 Arnie Sweet Scholar-in-Residence Shabbat, featuring Dr. Deborah Lipstadt on Feb. 10 and 11, will be a historical one. The programming for Friday night and Saturday is open to the public.

Arnie Sweet

“Arnie Sweet was a man small in physical attributes but huge and dynamic in stature. His legacy remains alive, well and profound, especially through the Scholar-in-Residence program that bears his name. Arnie always sought the truth; he always carried himself, and addressed others, with dignity, always valuing education,” said Congregation Anshai Torah’s Rabbi Stefan Weinberg.
“Dr. Lipstadt is the perfect scholar to honor Arnie’s legacy as she shares her life’s work with us, demonstrating the tenacity and courage that defines her, a most extraordinary woman. An awe-inspiring human being and purveyor of truth — if our world only had more human beings willing and capable of standing up for their principles, and educating the many onlookers at the same time!”
The scholar-in-residence weekend presented by Janice and Art Weinberg, Cindy and Mitch Moskowitz, Cathy and Joel Brook and many additional sponsors will feature a Lunch and Learn at noon at Congregation Anshai Torah focused on “Contemporary Anti-Semitism, a Clear and Present Danger.”
Friday night, Lipstadt will speak about her trial during Kabbalat Shabbat services beginning at 6:15 p.m. (note early start) and then at the keynote address and dinner following services. At Saturday morning’s Shabbat services, beginning at 9:30 a.m., in an address appropriate and important for high school and college students, in addition to adults, Lipstadt will speak about Jewish life on the American college campus and whether BDS and anti-Israel attitudes are real or imagined threats. On Saturday evening, a dessert reception will be held for sponsors and synagogue leadership at a private home.
“Our Arnie Sweet SIR program has grown and we couldn’t be more proud. We’re privileged to have Dr. Lipstadt, whom we contacted nearly two years ago when the film based on her incredible story was just an inkling,” said Warren Harmel, chair of the 2017 SIR. Harmel, SIR Vice-Chair Barrett Stern, Jacob Ratner, and committee have been working fervently to plan this year’s programming. “Now, Denial has become a huge hit and we’re thrilled to bring the real hero to Dallas. As anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head on university campuses and in Europe, the quote of Elie Wiesel, of blessed memory, about ‘I decided to tell my story because I owe something,’ never rang more true.”

Warren Harmel (right) and Barrett Stern are the leadership behind the Feb. 10 and 11 Arnie Sweet Scholar-in-Residence program. The two, and their committee, bring the spirit of the Jews as the People of the Book to Plano this year hosting Dr. Deborah Lipstadt.“We’re privileged to have Dr. Lipstadt, whom we contacted nearly two years ago when the film based on her incredible story was just an inkling,” said Harmel. “Denial has now become a huge hit and we’re thrilled to bring the real hero to Dallas.”

Lipstadt is the Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, where she created the Institute for Jewish Studies and was its director from 1998 to 2008. She is a member of the American Academy of Jewish Research and a former member of the executive council of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, for which she helped design the section of the Museum dedicated to the American Response to the Holocaust.
Lipstadt’s book, History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, was brought to the big screen in the 2016 feature film Denial, starring Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson and Timothy Spall. The film tells the story of the 1996 suit brought by David Irving against Lipstadt, and her publisher Penguin Books, who he charged libeled him in her 1993 book Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory. In his own writings, Mr. Irving, an admirer of Hitler, insisted there were no gas chambers at Auschwitz and that any deaths there were the results of illness and starvation. In Britain, where libel laws differ from those in the United States, the burden of proof is on the defendant and it was left to Lipstadt and her legal forces to disprove Irving’s evidence.
“We are so pleased Dr. Lipstadt will be coming to Anshai Torah to share her knowledge about the Holocaust and the movement of Holocaust denial,” said Florence Shapiro, a member of Congregation Anshai Torah and board chair of the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance. “Her experiences, in both print and in court with Holocaust denier David Irving, bring home the continued need for vigilance against anti-Semitism. An active scholar, Dr. Lipstadt is uniquely qualified to advocate for truth and accuracy in historical scholarship as well as in the media and the public arena.”
“Synagogues have been referred to throughout our tradition by a variety of names but one of the names that was used prevalently by our rabbis was the title Beit Midrash, a house of learning. This is exactly what synagogues are designed to do. We enter a sanctuary to learn, to grow, and to deepen our relationship to God and humanity,” said Anshai Torah’s Rabbi Michael Kushnick.
“At Congregation Anshai Torah, we live with the passion to learn every day of the year from our youngest members all the way through adulthood. Our SIR program is an example of the seriousness our congregation places on adult education and an example of the robust opportunities for learning and growth throughout the year.”
Dr. Lipstadt joins a league of significant scholars with her appearance as the Arnie Sweet Scholar-in-Residence weekend has hosted many of the Jewish world’s finest teachers and thinkers in Rabbis Sharon Brous, Ed Feinstein Danny Gordis, Yitz Greenberg, Yossi Klein Halevi and Donniel Hartman.
“Dr. Lipstadt is a professor, a scholar, a historian and a personal heroine of mine. I know having this amazing woman here as our scholar-in-residence will make for another exceptional weekend,” said Janice Sweet Weinberg.
“Arnie, of blessed memory, and I heard Dr. Lipstadt speak many years ago and we both thought her courage to seek justice was such that will forever have ramifications. Her persistence and her inner strength has been an inspiration to us all.”
For information or to RSVP for any of the events (child care will be provided Friday night and Saturday morning), please call 972-473-7718 or email receptionist@anshaitorah.org.
Friday night dinner tickets are $30 for Anshai Torah members, $38 for nonmembers, and $8 for children. There is no charge for Friday lunch or evening services or for Saturday’s events; however, reservations are required for all events.
For sponsorships, email warrenharmel@gmail.com. For more information, visit anshaitorah.org. Congregation Anshai Torah is located at 5501 W. Parker Road in Plano.
— Submitted by Deb Silverthorn

Dear Families,
Every Shabbat, parents bless their children, but what about blessing our parents?
This comes from The Book of Jewish Sacred Practices: Clal’s Guide to Everyday and Holiday Rituals and Blessings. The website ritualwell.org expands on this (as well as gives many new blessings and rituals and new takes on “old” rituals). The opening comment reminds us that our relationships change: “As a child, my parents could do no wrong. As an adolescent, my parents could do no right. Now, as a parent myself, I finally understand why a primary metaphor for the complicated and changing relationship between God and humans is that of parent and child.”
Relationships are hard and blessings are ways to stop and reflect. Even when we repeat the “standard” blessing over our children each Shabbat, we sometimes have conflicting feelings for our kids. We put those aside, take a deep breath and reflect on how precious our children are. That being said, sometimes our relationships with our parents can be conflicted and challenging. It is often hard to “honor your mother and your father” — it does not say “love.” The Torah has a way of making us stop and think!
So here is a traditional blessing for our parents with a meditation and ritual from the book and website:
Harakhaman hu y’varekh et avi mori v’et imi morati. Merciful One, bless my father, my teacher; and my mother, my teacher. (Take a few moments to really think about this blessing — why does it say “my teacher?” How is a parent a teacher? Why and how should we bless our teachers?)
Meditation: Thank you for the traits you have modeled, for showing me that love can overcome obstacles, for sharing celebration and pain, for teaching me about fragility and strength.
Ritual: If you are a child, call your parents with a blessing as your message. If you are a parent, experience accepting the blessings your children give you, however they are expressed.
Now you have a new ritual and blessing to add. Remember, we can always add new blessings, new thank-yous. We can put them in the Jewish model using the traditional six-word beginning: Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech haolam… In this way we are giving our thank-you to God for whatever we are feeling thankful for.
Try it and feel free to start with the Hebrew and end with your own words about anything you are feeling grateful for. Recent studies have shown how important gratitude is in our lives and for many of us, adding a Jewish twist to our thanks connects us to our heritage. If you say the blessing out loud, it gives those around you a chance to add “Amen,” which basically means “I agree with you.”
Young children can learn to respond and then to add their own blessings.
Shalom…from the Shabbat Lady.Laura Seymour is director of Camping Services at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center.

Aaron Family JCC photoThe FBI is investigating “possible civil rights violations in connection with threats” against 28 Jewish community centers, including Dallas’ JCC.

By Sean Shapiro
Special to the TJP

The Aaron Family Jewish Community Center’s emergency preparedness was tested last week when a bomb threat was called in around 9:45 a.m. Jan. 18.
Dallas police and fire officials cleared the building and gave the all-clear roughly an hour later.
“Everything was dealt with very well,” JCC CEO Artie Allen said. “Security and safety are our top priorities, and while you never want to test those plans, I was very proud how everything was handled.”
The FBI still has an ongoing investigation into the case, and it was one of 28 bomb threats called into Jewish Community Centers across 17 states Jan. 18.
A brief FBI statement Wednesday said it and the Justice Department’s civil-rights division are investigating “possible civil rights violations in connection with threats.”
The calls came less than 10 days after there were bomb threats to 16 centers in nine states Jan. 9.

Artie Allen

It’s a frustrating and scary situation, but one JCC employees and staff were ready for.
“In the wake of last week’s calls, JCCs were well-prepared for the calls received today. Many JCC leaders took part in a webinar organized quickly by JCC Association, featuring officials from SCN (Secure Community Network) and the Department of Homeland Security to address concerns and procedures,” David Posner, the director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America, said in a written statement. “Lessons learned and best practices discussed were clearly on display this morning, and we applaud our JCCs for responding calmly and efficiently. Many JCCs not affected last week took the opportunity to review their own security plans, and speak with local law enforcement.”
Dallas was among the JCCs to review their security protocols.
“We really haven’t had to deal with it very often,” Allen said. “We’ve been fortunate in that way, but it doesn’t stop us from being prepared and always checking and making sure our security measures are updated.”
Officials from the Anti-Defamation League said the Dallas JCC was well prepared and handled the situation perfectly.
“Security has to be a priority and a 24/7 concern,” Cheryl R. Drazin, the regional director for the ADL, said. “To regularly update and review is important because of different buildings and structures, so while it’s all similar threats, there are different steps different JCCs have to take. You never want to test those plans like this, but it was a showing that they were ready.”
Several of those directly impacted were scared, but relieved after the incident.
Many parents of preschoolers at the JCC shared their thanks with the staff and teachers via email. The JCC passed on more than a dozen emails to the Texas Jewish Post, all of them praising and thanking the staff for their quick, calm reactions in a potential moment of chaos.
“Communication was very important through all of this,” Allen said. “From the reaction to sharing what happened with the community. Once again, I’m very proud of how everything was handled and how the staff responded to a very frustrating situation like this.”

Photo: White House press releaseDonald Trump giving his inauguration address at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 20

By Ron Kampeas
JTA

WASHINGTON — “Cantor Kaufman!” Rabbi Jonah Pesner shouted across the intersection of 3rd and D in Washington’s Northwest quadrant, packed sidewalk to sidewalk with women in pink pussycat hats and their male friends. “A song!”
Jason Kaufman, the cantor at Beth El in Alexandria, Virginia, draped in a rainbow tallit and in the middle of telling a joke, cocked an eyebrow and pivoted gracefully from the guy hanging with his buddies at Saturday’s Women’s March on Washington to the religious leader ready to, well, lead.
Kaufman’s rich tenor soared above the foggy chill and soon found company. The song was a natural for hundreds of Reform Jews waiting at the junction to join with hundreds more organized by the National Council of Jewish Women and other liberal Jewish groups.
“Hinei ma tov umanaim,” they sang, quoting from Psalm 133. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.”
The Reform marchers, organized by the movement’s Religious Action Center, which Pesner leads, ultimately never met up with the NCJW marchers — Washington’s streets and the National Mall were crammed to the point of claustrophobia the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as the nation’s 45th president. The sternest shouted entreaties by group leaders could not keep the Jewish marchers from disappearing into the sea of humanity highlighted by the pink hats that were the marchers’ badge of honor.

Still, at around the same time, Nancy Kaufman, the NCJW CEO said, the marchers she was leading from the historic synagogue at Sixth and I streets broke into the same song.
It was not the first time that King David’s words soared over the nation’s capital. Psalm 133 also made an appearance Friday, in Trump’s first speech delivered as president.
“When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice,” Trump said. “The Bible tells us, ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.’ We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.”
Rather than unity, the twin uses of Psalm 133 on Friday and Saturday signaled a nation deeply divided, and within it two Jewish tribes deeply at odds over its future. To the smaller tribe, solidly Republican and disproportionately Orthodox, the inauguration weekend was a time to celebrate Trump for bringing Israel closer to the U.S. bosom. For the other, larger one, which votes reliably Democratic and tends to support a progressive domestic agenda, it was a time to stand as one against what it sees as Trump’s crusade to cleave Americans from one another.
Those glad of the Trump ascendancy say it will be a relief from a U.S.-Israel relationship still stinging from the toxicity between former President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Their ranks include Sheldon and Miriam Adelson, the billionaire casino magnate and his wife, whose spending on pro-Israel causes is outmatched only by their spending to keep Democrats from power. On Friday, they were seen grinning on the inaugural dais — a rare, if not unprecedented, place of honor for donors. Trump said later that their combined giving to his campaign and to the inauguration reached $125 million.
Perhaps a half a football field across from them, six or so Jewish Trump supporters from Los Angeles huddled on the mall in layers a little too thick for the mild mid-Atlantic chill. They were close to tears as Rabbi Marvin Hier took the stage to deliver the benediction — one that cited another psalm, 137, “If I forget you O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.”
“That’s my rabbi!” one yelled out.
After the speeches were over, the group enthused about why they had made the journey cross-country.
“We had a chill” as Hier spoke, said Chaya Illulian, 22. “God wants us to stand for the truth!”

Photo: Ron SachsSupporters of National Council of Jewish Women and other Jewish organizations come together for the Women’s March on Washington.

“We’re excited for the change,” chimed in Chaya Israely, also 22.
“To see Rabbi Hier up there, it means we’re equal,” said Adam King, 33.
The evening before, clumps of middle-aged out-of-towners, red Make America Great Again hats covering their kippahs, clustered around tables at the Char Bar kosher steakhouse. The most common topic of conversation: Would Trump’s Orthodox Jewish daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, set to assume a role as a top adviser, make it out of their parade limos the next day in time for Shabbat? (They did: The limos pulled up to the White House 30 minutes before.)
Earlier Thursday, a select group of Jewish Trump supporters attended the exclusive Republican Jewish Coalition reception, which featured Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas; Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the House majority leader; and Tom Rose, the conservative Jewish talk show radio maven who is close to Vice President Mike Pence.

Photo: Ron Kampeas Josh Weinberg, the president of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, attended the march with his three daughters. When asked about Trump’s use of Psalm 133 in his speech, Weinberg said “OK, it’s a nice line … but forgive my cynicism.”

On Friday night, they gathered on the lower floors of the Marriott Marquis at “The Inaugural Shabbat,” sponsored by the Israel Forever Foundation. The hotel is connected to the Washington Convention Center, where, as the Shabbat dinner got underway, Trump took his first dance with his wife, Melania, mouthing the words to Frank Sinatra’s My Way.
Or they were at the American Friends of Lubavitch headquarters near Dupont Circle, where Friday night services were packed with visitors. Rabbi Levi Shemtov’s sons squeezed between worshippers with trays bulging with tiny plastic cups of sweet Kiddush wine.
The sense of a homecoming, of relaxed and happy banter, was natural, said Matt Brooks, director of the Republican Jewish Coalition.
“At the end of the day, I think there’s a huge sense of relief,” he said. “This last eight years we have seen a significant weakening of the U.S.-Israel alliance. Things are going to be very different.”
And Trump’s quotation of Psalm 133? A natural, Brooks said.
“His presidency is going to be about the people, it’s going to be about holding government accountable, rebuilding infrastructure, restrengthening alliances, taking care of the middle class,” he said. “Judaism is predicated on making sure we take care of all people, and we look out for people who are less fortunate.”
If Trump was intent on caring for the less fortunate, the message didn’t reach the thousands of Jews who joined an estimated half-million protesters in Washington the next day — not to mention the marchers in other American cities and around the world.
Josh Weinberg, the president of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America, had read Trump’s speech but did not notice the president’s Psalm 133 citation.
“OK, it’s a nice line,” said Weinberg, who gently guided one daughter in a stroller through the crowd, carried another on his back and had a third clutching his hand. “But forgive my cynicism.”
Jewish marchers who had picked through Trump’s speech said they discovered intimations of exclusion: a rejection of prejudice that was conditioned on opening “your heart to patriotism,” a dystopian vision of “American carnage,” of inner cities in flame and children lost to broken schools.
Most striking for these marchers was Trump’s rallying cry. “From this moment on, it’s going to be America first, America first,” Trump said, an echo of the isolationist and anti-Semitic movement Americans rejected as they entered World War II.
“I’ve been disappointed before,” said Leslie Shapiro, a retired paralegal from Gaithersburg, Maryland, recalling past elections. “I’ve never been afraid.”

By Deb Silverthorn
Special to the TJP

Tina Turner may sing about the “big wheel keep on turnin,’ ” but she had no idea how many wheels, and how much spinning, support the increase in chances for the survival of ovarian cancer patients.
The fifth Be The Difference Foundation’s (BTDF) Wheel To Survive in Dallas, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, will have riders of all ages cycling at the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center to raise money to support the awareness of, and hopeful cure for, ovarian cancer.

At press time, with dollars pledged increasing, 181 riders have raised $85,827 toward this year’s goal of 300 riders and $300,000. This year, BTDF will cross the $2 million mark in donations over the last five years, to support programs dedicated to research toward the cure of ovarian cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancerous deaths.
“Survive More Than Five is our theme this year. Only 50 percent of women make it past five years and, here we are, hosting our fifth Dallas ride, and the organization is growing beyond our imagination. Our passion will always continue with more events, more money to donate, and more support to women fighting ovarian cancer,” said a healthy Julie Shrell, who recently marked six years since her diagnosis. Shrell co-founded the organization with Jill Bach, Helen Gardner of blessed memory, and Lynn Lentscher.
BTDF’s board of directors includes the founders as well as Gary Gardner, Darren Fishman, Lisa Hurst and Sheryl Yonack. Director of Wheel to Survive is Jon Mize.
Wheel to Survive is sponsored by many, with the Aaron Family JCC, Medical City, My Fabric Designs, Friedman & Feiger Attorneys at Law, MetroTex Association of Realtors, North Texas Gynecologic Oncology, The Bloom Medical Spa/Genecov Plastic Surgery Group, Mona Lisa Partners, Lewisville Autoplex, McKool Smith, Women’s Council of Realtors, Richardson Bike Mart, Athleta, and Whole Foods Preston Forest among this year’s leaders.
“We’re glad to host the meaningful activism that Wheel to Survive brings to our community,” said Artie Allen, chief executive officer of the Aaron Family JCC. “I hope desperately that a cure comes soon, and that there won’t be a need for this event, but we’re here for the long haul.”
Free practice rides for registered participants are being held at the JCC at noon on Jan. 29 and Feb. 12; at Zyn22 Park Lane at 1 p.m. on Feb. 5; and at Cyclebar Preston Forest at noon on Feb. 19. At the first practice Jan. 15 directed by Simone Shrell, riders shared their reasons for riding — friends and family who survived and those who didn’t — and survivors cheered their now good health that allows them to spin and support.
Bach, diagnosed in 2007 and now healthy, says, “Be The Difference Foundation was founded by survivors to support survivors and their families and the external love that comes together is the definition of community. That people have come out in the hundreds each of the last five years — in Dallas and around the country — allows us to help those searching for a cure, and those living with the disease, to move forward,” said Bach. “We’ve provided for a lot of research and support but the numbers haven’t changed much in terms of survival and that has to change.”

Photo: Be The Difference FoundationWheel to Survive 2017 registrants started spinning at the first of six practice rides leading up to the Feb. 26 event at the JCC. Registration is now open at wheeltosurvive.org. (Back row, left to right) Rob Shrell, Summer Lindsey, Linda Bezner, Lisa Mize and Jill Sedacca; (middle row) Marissa Shrell, Simone Shrell and Jon Mize; (front row) Julie Shrell, Jill Bach, Deb Silverthorn, Karen Polan.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer, affecting one in 70 women. Today, more than 70 percent of ovarian cancer patients will die of their disease. When ovarian cancer is detected and treated early, the five year survival rate is greater than 92 percent but, as symptoms are vague and subtle, most patients are diagnosed at later stages.
While both men and women can carry an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene (not the only genes that cause hereditary cancers), inherited alterations in these genes make female carriers more susceptible, accounting for between five and 10 percent of all breast cancer and ovarian cancer cases. While not every person in such families carries an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, the likelihood that breast cancer and ovarian cancer are associated with these genes is highest in families with histories of multiple cases of breast cancer, cases of both breast cancer and ovarian cancer, families where one or more family members have two primary cancers, ovarian cancer at any age, or families of Ashkenazi Jewish background.
The goal of the Moon Shots Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to dramatically reduce the incidence and mortality of cancer so that the disease is preventable, detectable and treatable. The program brings together faculty from throughout the institution to make a big and immediate impact on a specific cancer; 13 cancers are included in the program.
“Philanthropy is key, not only determining what possible clinical solutions we can explore, but also accelerating how quickly we can move those therapeutic ideas from the laboratory to patients. As our faculty and patients point to the many successes of the Moon Shots Program, they do so only thanks to the generosity of many individuals and foundations that have joined MD Anderson on our mission of Making Cancer History®,” said Dr. Anil Sood, professor of gynecologic oncology and reproductive medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. “I’ve been fortunate to watch many women leave our hospital with a healthy path ahead. It’s the reason we become physicians in the first place. Survivors are a living testament to our progress, and the Be The Difference Foundation is a shining example of the difference these women are making in the fight.”
Physicians and researchers participating in MD Anderson’s Ovarian Cancer Moon Shot program have prioritized key projects according to the potential for short-term impact, within three to five years, in the clinical setting. Long-term impacts, five to 10 years, dealing with prevention, early detection and survivorship are also part of the strategy. Immediate goals — some of which will directly be impacted by the funds received by BTDF — include rapid development, testing and deployment of targeted therapies for high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the discovery and implementation of effective drug combinations, and improvement of treatment options for recurrent and metastatic disease. The approach is comprehensive across the full spectrum of cancer care, but the quickest results will come from many active clinical trials that already have shown promise in patients.
“We are building a program that allows a doctor to be with their patient through care, surgery, chemotherapy, and/or whatever treatments rather than to have to begin again with a new team in every aspect. We want to manage our patients in one center,” said Dr. Doug Levine, director of gynecologic oncology, head of the Gynecology Research Lab at the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, and a professor at NYU Langone Medical Center. BTDF’s commitment followed Levine to NYU, previously supporting his work at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
“Our experience at Memorial was wonderful, but now, having moved to NYU, we are looking forward to interaction with scientists outside the field of cancer who have many fresh ideas,” said Levine, “and on the clinical side we now have, on-site, vascular surgeons and a world-class rehabilitation center should specific needs arise.

Jill Bach, the late Helen Gardner, Lynn Lentscher, and Julie Shrell founder of the Be The Difference Foundation in 2012, are proud that this year they will hit the $2 million mark of monies donated for research toward a cure of ovarian cancer. Their 2017 Wheel to Survive will take place on Feb. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Aaron Family JCC in Dallas.

“We are generating data on drug combinations that can extend the impact of PARP inhibitors beyond the BRCA population so that more women can benefit from these remarkable drugs. Having our work supported by both our world class institution and Be The Difference Foundation allows us to pursue the highest quality research,” said Levine. “The women behind the Foundation know the struggle firsthand. Science is fascinating to me but equally rewarding is direct contact with patients and survivors that inspires me every day so that we can create a world with more ovarian cancer cures.”
Additional 2016 beneficiaries are the Clearity Foundation’s patient support help which allows women to make informed treatment decisions, the Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s patient travel cost assistance program, the Mary Crowley Cancer Research Center’s innovative clinical trials, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania’s innovative research efforts led by Dr. Janos Tanyi.
The Dallas ride on Feb. 26 is one of six in 2017 including rides in Austin (April 23), South Florida (April 30) and later in the year in Houston, Lubbock, and the Bay Area of Northern California. At the Dallas ride, there will be a vendor-hosted gift market, a raffle, and individual and team recognition to those raising the most money.
“We started with three women, an idea and a bike,” said Bach. “Hitting the $2 million mark of donations and the lives that are changing and will change because of our work is amazing and a great feeling of accomplishment.”
Registration for Wheel to Survive is $50 with a $250 minimum pledge and $25/student with a $100 minimum pledge. Survivors ride (no registration fee) and are invited to be honored (riding or not) onstage during the last hour, the Hero Hour of the ride. Visit wheeltosurvive.org for donations, registration and information.

Pioneering Partner honoree Floyd also part of presentation

By Deb Silverthorn
Special to the TJP

Put 104 candles on the birthday cake for the Dallas Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW).
Celebrating the milestone at the Westin Galleria, on Jan. 31, the organization welcomes guest speaker Erin Brockovich and section Pioneering Partner Award honoree Jacquielynn Floyd.
Each year, the Greater Dallas Section’s Pioneering Partner Award is given to an individual or organization in recognition of major contributions to the Dallas community, consistent with NCJW’s mission: strong leadership in bringing together and working with diverse groups and individuals and motivating others in the community to strive for social justice.

Photo: NCJWErin Brockovich, renowned consumer advocate, is the keynote speaker at the 104th Dallas Section of NCJW’s Birthday Luncheon, celebrating “One Woman Can Make a Change.”

Floyd, a longtime columnist in the Metro division at the Dallas Morning News, was chosen because she gives a voice to those who have been silenced and whose stories are often left untold because they lack power. In her writing, she paints vibrant portraits of women who are marginalized in the shadows of abuse, and in her advocacy, she has worked ceaselessly to protect children from abuse.
“We are a chapter of very progressive members and the theme of ‘One Woman Can Make a Change’ fits our membership, our speaker and our honoree,” said Kristen Fagelman, chair of the Jan. 31 event alongside Kristen Davis, Courtney Johnson and Erin Zopolsky.
“Certainly each one of us can make a difference through tasks small and large and both Jacquielynn and Erin live to set those examples, standing up for those who can’t stand for themselves. That representation is exactly what NCJW and our Dallas Section are all about.”
Brockovich, renowned consumer advocate and keynote speaker at the anniversary luncheon, fits the celebration’s theme of “One Woman Can Make a Change” to a T. Brockovich, president of Brockovich Research & Consulting, who was introduced to the world through Julia Roberts’ portrayal of her in the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, has continued to live a life researching, representing and fighting for those in need.
NCJW, an organization of women passionate on the issues that Floyd and Brockovich pursue, dedicates itself to those concerns in the community. Wanting to expand the NCJW roster, President Joyce Rosenfield hopes the women of the community will find an aspect of the organization that touches them.
“The NCJW member is one who wants to make a difference in the community whether through education, advocacy or direct community service. It is the person who wants to be part of an organization whose members are smart, caring, professional individuals with diverse skills who want to be on the forefront of change. Joining NCJW is making a commitment to strive for social justice and to help make our community a better place for all women, children and families,” said Rosenfield, a life member of NCJW for more than 40 years, and for whom NCJW is a family affair — her daughter is a member of the Nashville Section and her daughter-in-law is the Dallas Section assistant treasurer.
“By participating in this organization, I feel I am doing the work that I have been taught through my Jewish values and I am helping to make a difference in our community. I am most proud of the fact that the Dallas section looks deep into the community to find those unmet needs and finds a way to make a difference and I also love that we partner with so many other organizations, allowing us to have more individuals to help make that difference in our community and around the world.”
Men and women who are willing to support the mission of the organization — stay-at-home moms, working moms, empty nesters and recent retirees, with backgrounds of financial, public affairs, education, direct community service or leadership — are invited to join. The Dallas section consists of members who are social workers, accountants, attorneys, educators, computer gurus, business majors, marketing, public relations, hands-on doers, strategic thinkers, leaders and more.
NCJW Dallas is known for innovative programs including LIFT (Literary Instruction for Texas), CASA Dallas (Court Appointed Special Advocates), and the first volunteer program in the DISD. Other projects of the organization are Attitudes & Attire, Food + Fit = Fun, Hello Israel, HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters), Kids in Court, Kosher Home Delivered Meals – Jewish Family Service, LEAP (Lending, Education and Project Mentoring), Meyerson Symphony Center Docents, Mitzvah Moments, Vickery Meadow Food Pantry and Clothes Closet, Vickery Meadow Learning and WACHS (Women’s Access to Comprehensive Health Services).
“NCJW’s members are innovators in championing for those in our community, meeting the needs of those who need help most. The groups that are thriving, from NCJW’s incubation and support, are incredible and it takes people looking and working through a very special lens to make such a difference,” said Cecilia Boone, honorary chair of the NCJW birthday luncheon.
“I admire all the work that is done and the consistency with which the organization’s members are dedicated, and hope that many in our community will reach out and become involved, share in the celebration of the success, and be a part of the dedication for so many.”
For information about the Jan. 31 event, or to join NCJW’s Dallas Section, call 972-368-4405, email info@ncjwdallas.org or visit ncjwdallas.org.

Usually, I don’t think too much, not too consciously anyway, about the Ten Commandments until Shavuot is almost upon us.
But this year is different. Two reasons: (1) the hoopla attached to the Trump election and inauguration; (2) the fact that I’ve done a major cleanup in my office and located something about those Commandments that shouldn’t have to wait for the holiday to be thought about.
The main file I emptied was huge, as piles of saved paper go. Everything old — some items by a decade or even more! They resided in an old-fashioned accordion-type file, with alphabetized compartments into which I’d thrown things more or less connected only by initial letters of their basic subject matter, and never looked at again. I was on the verge of just tossing the whole business into my recycling bags. But…but…but…
The desire to look before pitching won out, and I found a few treasures. The one that made me think of the Man on the Mountaintop early this year was a report from the Library of Congress quoting a presentation titled “Holy Moses! A Cultural History of the Ten Commandments in Modern America.” It was one of many talks by Jenna Weissman Joselit, then a Princeton professor spending the summer of 2007 as that Library’s Distinguished Visiting Scholar. More recently, she has become director of the Judaic Studies Program at George Washington, right there in D.C.
Let me quote a bit from what this prolific woman had to say a decade ago: “The Ten Commandments cast a long shadow over the body politic these days. Angry words about the appropriate role for the Commandments in 21st-century America fill the air, as proponents and opponents square off. Have they always been the stuff of controversy? Or is this a new phenomenon — the consequences of a rapidly changing world?”
I’ve seen this change during my own long life: America no longer seems to articulate, as it used to years ago, its prideful founding on Judeo-Christian values, which of course have their beginnings in our own Bible, with the Tablets — first written by the finger of God — that Moses brought down from that mountaintop. Today, the references seem to be all about Christian; the Judeo root that birthed the other is for the most part forgotten. How and why has this happened?
Joselit recognized it early. “Throughout much of the mid-19th and 20th centuries, Americans of all stripes identified strongly with the Decalogue and the figure of Moses, incorporating them into the domestic sphere as well as the public square — into the nation’s visual culture as well as its political rhetoric.” In her presentation, she cited many places in which the Ten Commandments once made regular appearances in our nation’s culture: synagogue and church architecture, plays and pageants in Sunday schools both Jewish and Christian, movies such as that huge epic by Cecil B. DeMille that we’ve all seen (and laughed after-the-fact at its pretentiousness), which she calls “legendary.” But most of these concrete references are long gone now. Yes, there are still six-pointed stars on our dollar bills, but hardly anyone notices them any more.
Joselit has too many credits to her name to list here. She has written many articles for a range of publications plus a column for The Forward; she has been a visiting professor at Yale, Temple, NYU and the Jewish Theological Seminary, and many other universities; she has served as consultant for many museums — Jewish and other — and as exhibit curator at the National Yiddish Book Center. And she has written a number of books on a variety of Jewish subjects.
But the one I think the most important is her newest. Set in Stone: America’s Embrace of the Ten Commandments will be released by Oxford University Press on April 28 of this year — just in time for the May 1 start of Shavuot!